Indefinite Leave to Remain

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications from wives of United Kingdom citizens to obtain indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom have been waiting over the target time of three weeks at the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [31141]

We aim to decide 70 per cent. of all new general and settlement cases within three weeks and met this for the first half of 2001. Information on the number of applications from wives of United Kingdom citizens for indefinite leave to remain which were not decided within this time scale is not available.